Dr. John R. Craynon, P.E. ARIES Project Director, Virginia Center for Coal and Energy
Research, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Kentucky Professional Engineers in MiningSeptember 6, 2013
Answering the Need for Science in Energy: The Appalachian
Research Initiative for Environmental Science (ARIES)
Why do we need science-based approaches?
Most issues and problems have scientific and engineering components
Scientific-based discussions allow for communication, cooperation and collaboration with all stakeholders
Optimum planning, operation and post-mining use of mining projects relies on science-based approaches
Government policies and regulations must be based on science-based solutions and practices not on politics or self-serving agendas
ARIES Founding Industrial Affiliate Partners committed to fund
ARIES with a grant of over $10 million A research strategy was chartered and
approved for 2011-2016 ARIES announced March 31, 2011
Major Research Areas of ARIES Energy production in Appalachia
Coal mining Natural gas
CBM Shale gas
Electricity generation Petroleum Renewables
First priority focus is coal mining
ARIES Member Companies Alpha Natural Resources Arch Coal Natural Resource Partners TECO Coal Corporation Patriot Coal Corporation Cliffs Natural Resources Norfolk Southern Corporation CSX Corporation
Coal associations are participants
In discussions with other companies interested to join
ARIES Partner Universities
Virginia Tech VCCER at VT is the managing entity for ARIES
West Virginia University University of Kentucky Ohio State University Pennsylvania State University University of Pittsburgh University of Pennsylvania Marshall University Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
ARIES Research Team
In total, nearly 60 Academic Researchers, over 60 Graduate and Undergraduate Students, almost 30 Academic Departments representing Colleges of Engineering, Science, Agriculture, Forestry, Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Public Health, Business and Medicine
Overview of “Environmental Considerations in Energy Production” Symposium
Symposium Held in Charleston, WV, April 14-18,2013
Nearly 230 attendeesFourteen technical sessions with 70
presentationsOver 45 peer-reviewed papers in
proceedings volume
Overview (cont.)Abstracts of other presentations included in proceedings
as well“Environmental Considerations in Energy Production”
Edited by John R. CraynonAvailable from Society Of Mining, Metallurgy and
Exploration Two keynote sessions and one closing plenaryVideo Greeting from U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D.,
WV)
Keynote Session 1Governmental view
Len Peters, Secretary, Kentucky Cabinet of environment and Natural Resources
Randy Huffman, Secretary, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
Conrad Spangler, Director, Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy
Karen Obenshain, Director, Edison Electric InstituteSean Plasynski, Deputy Director, National Energy
Technology Lab, U.S. Department of Energy
Messages from Keynote Session 1Baseload Generation capacity Key to manufacturingThermal Efficiency can lower GHG EmissionsBureaucratic IMPULSE: Manage Problems rather than
Solve themNeed for research on Uranium and offshore windNeed for regional fuel diversity in Electrical generationCCUS Research is continuing and can benefit
Appalachia through coal use and sequestration in the region
Keynote Session 2Industry Perspectives
Gene Kitts, Senior Vice President, Environmental Affairs, Alpha Natural Resources
Katharine Fredriksen, senior vice president, Environmental strategy & Regulatory Affairs, CONSOL Energy
Bruce Braine, Senior Vice President, Strategic Policy Analysis, AEP Energy Services
Carl Michael Smith, Executive Director, Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Comission
Messages from Keynote Session 2Scientific understanding needs to drive policyCoal will remain critical in U.S. Energy mixSustainable development approaches and stewardship
Are key for industry Dealing with environmental challenges goes beyond
complianceEnvironmental standards may help drive future fuel
mixesDealing with environmental challenges is key to making
unconventional fuels economic and useful
Luncheon
Speaker: Roger Calhoun, Charleston Field Office Director, OSM
Messages: Regulators need good science to do their job the
right wayRegulators are trying to use science and
technology to be more efficient and effective
Banquet
Speaker: Dr. Stephen Kopp, President, Marshall University
Messages:Cooperation is key to quality, unbiased researchUniversities need to look at research as a
means of helping provide education
Closing Plenary
Speakers: Zach Agioutantis , Technical University of CreteDeborah Shields, Colorado State UniversityPeter Denton, Red River College
Messages:Integrated management of projects requires science at the project scaleSustainable development in mining and energy production requires
involvement of stakeholders and balance of economic, social and Environmental goals
Science and sustainable development must take place within the context of conscious ethical choices
Technical Sessions
WatershedsEnvironmental considerations in Electricity GenerationCoal PreparationCOMMUNITY well-beingCoal, Gas and Energy ProductionPublic Health and Energy ProductionTotal Dissolved Solids and Environmental impacts
Technical Sessions (cont.)
Landforms and geomorphic reclamationSelenium in the environmentStream RestorationStream biota impactsEnvironmental Considerations in
Underground MiningEnvironment, Coal mining and sustainable
development
Follow up
Planning beginning for similar meeting in 2015
New research opportunitiesHalf of presentations/Papers not from ARIES
researchersNew connections to other ongoing work created
Review of some important ARIES results• Water quality
• Selenium• Conductivity
• Mining practices• Protection of surface water
• Human health• Health disparities• Biological impairment in streams
Water quality
SeleniumPaul Ziemkiewicz, West Virginia University Water
Research Institute
1. Selenium is a major regulatory focus under the Clean Water Act, resulting in significant costs for coal mining companies and delays in permitting2. ARIES studies show that using a byproduct of acid mine drainage treatment may immobilize the selenium at a very low cost
What we already know about selenium
Between 25 and 40% of total selenium is potentially mobile 80-90% of selenium is in black shale associated with the
coal seams Its release rate is rapid (Peak concentration of Se occurs
at year seven in all three studies) Selenite is sorbed by FeOOH (a readily-available
byproduct of the treatment of acid mine drainage)
Therefore: Good case for selective handling if an economic means can be
found for immobilizing most of the selenium Hobet lysimeters were established to test whether FeOOH can
immobilize selenium in the field
Water quality
Conductivity• Laura Kirby and John Craynon - Virginia Tech
1. Conductivity has been linked by the EPA to the health of the biologic communities in Appalachian streams and is being used as an indicator for permitting and regulatory actions under the Clean Water Act
2. There seems to be very little correlation between conductivity and VSCI scores in the Dumps Creek and Straight Creek watersheds. Data collected at different times show possible correlations that are very different from EPA regulatory guidance.
Conductivity versus VSCI scores based on historical data and VT study
y = 0.15x - 7.4332
R² = 0.4602
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650
VSCI
sco
re
EC, uS/cm
VSCI Scores versus ConductivityOctober 2012 (VT data)
No reproducible correlation between conductivity and VSCI scores
Straight Creek Data (May 2008)from Passmore and Pond, 2009
Improved Mining PracticesBarrier Pillars for Stream Protection in
AppalachiaMichael Karmis – Virginia Tech Zach Agioutantis – Technical University of Crete
An engineering approach has been developed under this project that can accomplish stream protection with smaller barrier pillars, as opposed to the current practice using empirical formulations.
Mechanism of caving and ground movements
If depth < 50t + 100ft then barrier should be left in placeIf depth > 50t + 100ft then stream can be undermined
extracted area
surfacestream
30-5
0 x
seam
thic
knes
s
caving zone
οver
burd
en d
epth
fracture zone
100 ft
5-10
x s
eam
th
ickn
ess
continuous deformationzone (CDZ) intermediate zone
drainage zone
pillar pillar
stream
surface
panel
W/2
surface
h
panelbarrier pillar
t
angle of draw
γ
seam thickness
W/2
B/2B/2
Empirical Rule
Barrier pillar width (W) = 2 x (50 ft + h tan 28)W = 432 ft [for h = 300 ft]-- (ALPS/SF=62!!W = 472 ft [for h = 350 ft]-- (ALPS/SF=69!!
Design of Barrier Pillars Using Ground Movement Criteria, +E=10ms (impoundments)-5ms
Limit of structural damage
max strain
W=80ft, ALPS/SF=5
Human Health
Health disparities• Jeanine Buchanich et al. – University of Pittsburgh
1. A series of “studies” have suggested human health disparities in areas of Appalachia with coal mining2. ARIES studies focused on independent evaluation of data and show:
- Age-adjusted mortality rates higher in mining counties across all time periods. With exception of all cause, rates are converging- Data do not imply mining causally associated with mortality- ARIES work points out that many confounding factors were not considered in the analyses of other “studies”
Specific AimEcological evaluation
Compare mortality in Appalachian coal-mining versus non-coal mining counties
Examine total and select cause-specific mortality rates
31
White Male Age-Adjusted Mortality Rates
32
Increased concerns about health• A number of “studies”, primarily conducted by a small
group of researchers, have concluded coal mining is associated with various negative impacts on human health
• The USGS has begun conducting research focused on health impacts of coal mining, including impacts from dust and water contamination
• Questions about these findings• Dr. Jonathan Borak and his colleagues have questioned
previous results• EPA staff recently presented on problems with research
“proofiness” which misuses statistics and other analysis
ARIES health research emphasis• Epidemiological studies focused on determining
disparities in human health among mining and non-mining counties
• Analysis of exposure, bioavailability and metabolism of materials associated with mining
• Analysis of exposures via dust• Analysis of other factors contributing to health issues
• Lifestyle, poverty, obesity, etc.• Exposure to biocontamination (inadequate or non-existent
sewage treatment)
Human Health
Biological impairment• Emily Sarver, Leigh-Anne Krometis and Nicholas Cook –
Virginia Tech
1. ARIES study shows that there are impacts on water quality in the coal mining areas of Appalachia other than coal mining, which have the potential to create human health impacts.
- High potential for human contact with impaired water
- Great opportunity to reduce human health risk through better sewage treatment
Project goalsIn Central Appalachia, plenty of anecdotal evidence suggests that bacterial water impairments are huge problemIn terms of community wellbeing, we aim to: Understand just how big the problem is Understand what the primary contributors
and potential effects are Put this problem into context with other
“high priority” water quality issues Contribute to sustainable solutions
Further research needs Current project is set to continue for another 18 months
Field data critical to connecting water quality and benthic ecology with specific discharges
Statistical analyses of geospatial data at regional- and local-scale
Clear need for extended work Ecological and community wellbeing – what links may exist
between bacterial water impairments and specific benthic and human outcomes?
Policy – how can sustainable solutions be achieved given the current inventory of stakeholders and resources?
Summary and Status• ARIES has already gotten meaningful results
and publications in less than two years• Commitment to the program essential to get
return on investment and need for new sponsors
• Program of research being reviewed for efficiencies and to deal with funding levels
• Consideration of expansion to utility, oil and gas, and potentially hard rock mining issues
ARIES UpdateSecond Year of research ended June 30, 2013Third Year will be different than previous two yeas
Fewer ProjectsFocus on key issuesReflects completion of some work
Different structureFour Emphasis Areas versus six previously
Continued expansion of health and community impacts researchSome new work to focus on new concerns
ARIES UPDATE (Cont.)Re-Designed ARIES Website
www.energy.vt.edu/ARIES EMPHASIS AREAS
Emphasis Area A: Stream Protection and Restoration
Emphasis Area B: Materials characterization and handling
Emphasis Area C: Water impacts of UG coal mining
Emphasis Area D: Community and health impacts
Follow upPlanning beginning for ECEP 2015 symposiumNew research opportunities may exist
Half of presentations/papers at ECEP not from ARIES researchers
New connections to other ongoing work createdARIES next steps
Directing continued research and publicationsLooking for opportunities for continued outreach on
ARIES and resultsSeeking continued and expanded support
Closing remarks In difficult times, easy to remove support for
research May be more critical then to help cut costs and
improve operations The results are encouraging, but more work
is needed There is a need for broader support to ensure
that the work gets done Science will help all companies and lack of
science will hurt all companies
What is special about ARIES?
ARIES is multi-disciplinary, multi-university, multi-priority
ARIES is independent, researcher led peer-reviewed science
ARIES was created with private resources, and is built on cooperation and communication
ARIES includes the capability to address new problems quickly (given resources)
ARIES
For more information:http://www.energy.vt.edu/ARIES
Or call:John Craynon, ARIES Project Director(540) 231-9462 or (540) [email protected]
